Compression-operated cooling plant



Aug. 21, 1956 A. c. BESLIN COMPRESSION-OPERATED COOLING PLANT Filed April 17, 1952 INVENTOR. Bash mmwl 3mm United States Patent COMPRESSION-OPERATED COOLING PLANT Auguste Camille Eeslin, Paris, France Application April 17, 1952, Serial No. 282,828

Claims priority, application France March 18, 1952 Claims. (Cl. 62-11755) This invention relates to improvements in compressionoperated cooling plants for refrigerators ensuring a smooth working, Whatever may be the temperature of the products in the refrigerator and the temperature at which refrigeration is to take place, i. e. the temperature of the evaporator.

According to my invention, the cooling plant comprises a so-called stabilizer consisting of a receiver containing at least one tubing with an opening in its upper part, which tubing is inserted in the return pipe from the evaporator, a piping system connecting the upper part of said receiver with the compressor.

The cooling plant may, in addition, comprise a socalled oil separator fed by a pipe the mouth of which widens out in the form of a dish located in the stabilizer underneath the inlet into the piping system connecting the upper part of the stabilizer receiver with the com pressor, the oil separator further containing a worm through which the coolant from the condenser passes.

The lower part of the oil separator may be connected by a conduit with the piping returning to the compressor.

Moreover, that part of the piping through which the liquid from the condenser passes, may include a small diameter tube opening into a gas-filled receiver into which the liquid enters so as to keep the pressure constant.

This receiver in which constancy of pressure is thus maintained, may be provided with a substantially vertical upstanding small diameter tube extending from the base of the receiver and opening at its upper end, said tube forming a connection with the evaporator.

Finally, that part of the piping for the liquid coming from the condenser may also include a multi-way cock operating selectively to allow the liquid to pass normally through the above piping or to provide a connection be tween a reserve liquid container and either the evaporator or the condenser, to adjust the output of the coolant liquid.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, it being understood that the said drawing is merely illustrative of a practical embodiment of the invention.

The single figure of this drawing is a diagrammatic view of a compression-operated refrigerator embodying the improvements according to the invention, certain parts of the cooling plant being shown cross-sectionally.

The cooling plant illustrated includes a compressor 1 which feeds the plant. The liquid from the compressor expands inside a worm 2 represented in the diagram by dot-and-dash lines, the connection between the compressor and the expansion worm 2 including the pipes 16 and 24, a condenser C and a receiver R being arranged in pipe conduit 16.

On leaving the Worm, the liquid-saturated gas travels through a piping 3 and enters the stabilizer comprising a receiver 4. On leaving the piping 3, the liquid-saturated gas enters the tubing 5 inside the receiver 4, the upper part of which tubing is provided with an outlet 6. The gas proceeds in the direction indicated by the ar- 2,7 59,340 Patented Aug. 21, 1956 row 7,'whereas the droplets of liquid fall back into the receiver 4.

The liquid contained in the receiver 4, the level of which normally approaches the upper part of the said receiver, is evaporated under the action of the suction prevailing in the gas and liquid separation chamber capping the receiver 9, which results in the cooling of the liquid. The gases escaping from the tubing 5 likewise promote this evaporation and it has been experimentally ascertained that the outside of the wall of the receiver 4 becomes frosted to all intents and purposes up to the level of the liquid it contains. This furnishes a very simple means of checking whether the apparatus contains suificient liquid.

Moreover, the stabilizer ensures the smooth working of the apparatus. For instance when heat is applied to the evaporator, the gas is hotter on reaching the tubing 5 and heats the liquid which becomes vaporized and proceeds through the chamber 9 and a piping 10 towards the compressor 1. The stabilizer thus constitutes a cushioning device absorbing the jerks in the working of the evaporator. It provides additional gas automatically at the proper time.

The gas escaping from the upper parts 6 of the tubing 5 conveys droplets of lubricating oil for the compressor.

These droplets fall into a dish 11 the central portion 12 of which opens into a pipe 13 leading to a receiver 14, which forms the oil separator. The dish 11 also receives some droplets of the coolant liquid conveyed as a suspension by the gas. The coolant liquid and the oil flow into the receiver 14 Where they are heated by a worm 15 inserted in the piping 16 feeding the liquid coming from the compressor 1. The oil remains in the lower part of the receiver, the liquid floating over the oil and escaping as a gas, due to the suction prevailing in a tube 17 communicating with the piping 10 which connects the stabilizer with the inlet of the compressor 1. The coolant liquid, therefore, returns into the circuit in the form of gas. The oil retained in the lower part of the receiver 14 flows towards the compressor, to lubricate it, through a tube 18 connected with the said piping 10 leading to the compressor 1.

The piping 16 for the liquid coming from the compressor on leaving the worm 15 leads to a narrow tube 19 the cross-section of which is calculated so as to form a check for the flow of liquid. At the outlet 20 of the tube 19, the liquid reaches the pressure-adjusting chamber 21 containing liquid in its lower part and gas in its upper part. A narrow tube 22 extends vertically from the base of the chamber 21 inside the latter. The liquid makes its way into the tube 22 through the upper opening 23 in said tube 22, then expands in the form of a saturated vapor inside a pipe 24 leading to the evaporator 2.

The plant is completed by means for introducing into the circuit additional gas when leakages have been excessive. As previously mentioned, lack of gas is observed by the fact that the receiver 4 of the stabilizer does not contain an adequate amount of the liquefied gas, the frosting on the outside of the wall of the receiver indicating whether the level 1 of the liquid it contains has now risen high enough or not. The device for admitting fresh liquid comprises a multi-way cock 25 which, in the position shown on the drawing, ensures the normal passage of liquid from the compressor 1 to the piping in. When its handle 26 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow 27, .the cock enables an additional fiow from a reserve supply container 28 to be dispatched towards the evap orator worm. The plant is then fed from the container 28 and the handle 26 is not returned to its normal position until the frosting has again reached the upper level of the receiver 4. If it is observed that the amount of reserve ,condensable gas admitted is excessive, .that is to say if the liquid reaches the level of the dish 11, part of the liquid can be withdrawn by turning the handle 26 in the direction indicated .by the arrow 29; this enables -direct connection to be effected between the container 28 and-the compressor 1. It is possible, therefore, -not only to introduce supplementary amounts of reserve .gas but also to accurately adjust the amounts thus admitted.

Various changes may be made in the details described with reference to the drawing without unduiy Widening the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In arcfrigeration system comprising, in combination, a compressor, acondenser and an evaporator, feed conduit means passing liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, and return conduit means .for passing vapor from the evaporator to the compressor; an expansion regulator arrangement interposed in said return conduit means, the latter thus being divided into two parts, said arrangement consisting of a receptacle containing a reserve of liquid refrigerant and being traversed at its base by the first of said parts of said return conduit means which first part brings vapor from the evaporator, said first part ofsaid return conduit means branching into the interior of said receptacle as a series of conduits through which passes all of the-vapor coming from the evaporator, and the outer surface of which last-mentioned conduits are immersed in the reserve of liquid refrigerant and which last-mentioned conduits have openings within the upper portion of said receptacle above the level of said reserve of liquid refrigerant, the upper part of said receptacle being in communication with the second of said parts of said return conduit in which second part the vapor moves toward the compressor.

2. In a refrigeration system, comprising, in combination, a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, feed conduit mcans passing liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, and return conduit means for passing vapor from the evaporator to the compressor; an expansion regulator arrangement interposed in said return conduit means, the latter thus being divided into twoparts, said arrangement consisting of a receptacle containing a reserve of liquid refrigerant and being traversed at its base by the first of said parts of said return conduit means which first part brings vapor from .the evaporator, said first part. of said return conduit means extending into the interior of said receptacle as at least one conduit through which passes all of the vapor coming from i the evaporator, the outer surface of which conduit is immersed in the reserve of liquid refrigerant and which last-mentioned conduit has at least one opening within the upper portion of said receptacle above the level of said reserve of liquid refrigerant, the total outer surface of said conduit in contact with the reserve liquid refrigerant being at least equal to 500 times the surface area of the inner cross-section of the conduit means for the return of the vapor coming from the evaporator, the upper part of said receptacle being in communication with the second of said parts of said return conduit in whichsecond part the vapor moves toward the compressor.

3. In a refrigeration system, comprising, in combination, a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, feed conduit means passing liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, and return conduit means for passing vapor from the evaporator-s to the compressor; an expansion regulator arrangement interposed in said return conduit means, the latter thus being divided intovtwo parts, said arrangement consisting of a receptacle containing a reserve of liquid refrigerant and being traversed at itsbase by the first of said parts of said return conduit means which first part brings vaporfrom the evaporator, said first part of said return conduit means extending into the interior of said receptacle as a heat exchanger through which passes all of the vapor coming from the evaporator, the outer surface of which heat exchanger is immersed in the reserve of liquid refrigerant and which heat exchanger has an opening within the upper portion of said receptacle into a preheating chamber adjacent to a portion of the conduit means feeding liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, said chamber opening in its upper part upon the second of said parts of said return conduit in which second part the vapor moves toward the compressor.

4. In a refrigeration system, comprising, in combination, a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, feed conduit means passing liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, and return conduit means for passing vapor from the evaporator to the compressor; an expansion regulator arrangement interposed in said return conduit means, the latter thus being divided into two parts, said arrangement consisting .of a receptacle containing a reserve of liquid refrigerant and being traversed at its base by the first of said parts of said return conduit means which first vpart brings vapor from the evaporator, said first part of said return conduit means extending into the interior of said receptacle as a heat exchanger through which passes all of the vapor coming from the evaporator, the outersurface of which heat exchanger is immersed in the reserve of liquid refrigerant and which heat exchanger has a opening within the upper portion of said receptacle into a preheating chamber adjacent to a portion of the conduit means vfeeding liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporafor, said chamber opening in its upper part upon the second of said parts of said return conduit in which second part the vapor moves towards the compressor, a pan in the form of a shallow tray being arranged in said recipient in its upper part and below said preheating chamber which rises above said recipient.

5. In a refrigeration system, comprising, in combination, a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, feed conduit means passing liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, and return conduit means for passing vapor from the evaporator to the compressor; an expansion regulator arrangement interposed in said return conduit means, the latter thus being divided into two parts, said arrangement consisting of a receptacle containing a reserve of liquid refrigerant and being traversed at its base by the first of said parts of said return conduit means which first part brings vapor from the evaporator, said first part of said return conduit means extending into the interior of said receptacle as a heat exchanger through which passes all of the vapor coming from the evaporator, the outer surface of which heat exchanger is immersed in the reserve of liquid refrigerant and which heat exchanger has an opening within the upper portion of said receptacle into a preheating chamber adjacent to a portion of the conduit means feeding liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, said chamber opening in its upper part upon the second of said parts of said return conduit in which second part the vapor moves towards the compressor, a pan in the form of a shallow tray being arranged in said recipient in its upper part and below said preheating chamber which rises above said recipient, said pan opening near its lowest .point into a conduit the end of which opens into an arrangement for oil recovery.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

